Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Let's Have a Chat
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Jo Yuna finally returned to work a week after the fourth-floor incident.
The Foundation wasn't the type to hand out generous vacations.
But when it came to incidents involving anomalies, they always followed up properly.
"No major issues with your memory. Physical responses are normal too. You're really in the clear now."
Yuna let out a sigh of relief after her checkup in the infirmary on her first day back.
During the fourth-floor incident, she'd been enthralled by an anomaly.
No one knew exactly what that anomaly had been.
It had sustained so much damage that it couldn't maintain its existence and was deemed destroyed.
Whatever information remained beforehand had mostly been corrupted.
Still, they could infer a few of its abilities.
"No more hallucinations, right?"
For starters, it messed with people's perceptions.
No one had noticed the entity on the fourth floor until then. And they'd all thought it was perfectly normal for the fourth floor not to exist.
And crucially, what Yuna herself had gone through.
All of it pointed to tampering with human cognition.
Plus, the internal records had been altered too, so it probably had the power to overwrite information.
"Yes. I don't see anything at all."
"That's a relief."
"I think so too. You got really lucky."
Yuna gave a wry smile.
Surviving an encounter with what seemed like at least a Class 4 anomaly was incredibly rare.
Of course, it wasn't just luck.
She'd survived because a powerful ally had been there with her.
Though, if you really thought about it, going to the fourth floor in the first place had been because of that ally...
But deciding to explore the fourth floor had been Yuna's own choice.
"Well, I'll be going then."
"Sure. If you notice anything even slightly off or uncomfortable, come see me anytime."
Yuna bowed her head and left the infirmary with complicated feelings.
Next, she headed to the Branch Chief's office, as instructed to stop by on her way up from the infirmary.
"Team Leader Yuna."
When she arrived at the Branch Chief's office via elevator, he greeted her warmly.
"How's your health?"
"Fine. No problems at all."
"Good to hear."
The Branch Chief nodded.
Truth be told, he had no real reason to pay such close attention to Yuna, just a team leader in the Field Response Team.
That would've been the case before.
But things were different now.
Yuna was the one in charge of the most dangerous anomaly currently contained in the branch—the "girl."
"She's got an official designation now."
"Really?"
The girl hadn't had a proper ID until now, so people just called her whatever—girl, it, her, or a number.
The Branch Chief tapped on the documents sitting on his desk.
"Dawn Girl."
Yuna glanced back and forth between the papers and the Branch Chief before speaking cautiously.
"The nickname... it's pretty sentimental?"
"I thought so too. There's actually a backstory here."
The Branch Chief chuckled as he explained.
"The original candidates were things like Silver Calamity, Shadow Walker, False Idol."
"I see."
Yuna nodded.
She didn't say it out loud, but those sounded far more fitting to her.
She couldn't understand why they'd gone with something so vague instead.
The Branch Chief explained clearly.
"One day, every title in the files had changed to this. Computers, paper—everything. Some people even thought they'd been calling her Dawn Girl all along."
"Huh?"
"When do you think it happened?"
"My guess? Right after the fourth floor was reclaimed."
The implication was obvious.
The anomaly that had taken over the fourth floor could interfere with perceptions and manipulate information.
The girl had fought it and destroyed it.
Right after, she used the same ability.
What conclusion could you draw?
"That's... incredibly dangerous."
"Yeah. Very, very dangerous. But HQ doesn't seem to see it that way."
"Pardon?"
"They're sending more researchers and containment staff. Looks like they want to observe Dawn Girl properly."
"Won't that be risky?"
"I've said as much. But HQ's focusing on other possibilities."
"Other possibilities...?"
"She can subjugate or destroy anomalies, communicate smoothly, and shows a friendly demeanor toward humanity."
"Ah."
Considering those traits, it was worth the risk.
Three incredibly rare qualities overlapping like that.
Even so, Yuna couldn't shake her unease.
The Branch Chief spoke as if he knew exactly how she felt.
"Of course, my judgment is to leave her be without provoking her. Or seal off the entire branch permanently."
It was a chilling suggestion, but Yuna agreed.
The girl was truly dangerous.
No one knew what she was really thinking.
"But what can we do? Even as Branch Chief, to the higher-ups at HQ, we're just replaceable parts."
"To them, every employee is just a part."
"Exactly. So starting tomorrow, the researchers will be interacting with her. But your job stays the same."
"Just like before?"
"Yeah. Just like before."
The Branch Chief looked at Yuna.
"Treat her like a close little sister. Like a good friend."
"Yes. Understood."
That concluded the conversation.
Yuna sighed as she left the Branch Chief's office.
Now that she was back, she should at least say hi to the girl. And thank her.
Jo Yuna returned safely, thank goodness.
She took a whole week off after that incident. I'd wiped out as much of the influence as I could, but it must not have been enough.
Good thing she's fine now.
And she brought mango cake as thanks for saving her. It was delicious.
"Dasom! You can't just skip the strawberries!"
The day after Yuna came back, I was having tea time with Dasom as usual.
Just as tea time was wrapping up...
Ding-dong—.
The bell rang.
Normally, I'd rush over thinking it was Yuna, but not this time.
I already knew it wasn't her.
I walked slowly to the door and opened it. Sure enough, there was a stranger.
"Hello."
The man who spoke wore glasses.
I already knew who he was.
I'd overheard talk that a researcher from HQ was coming today.
"Yeah."
I answered curtly on purpose, but he didn't care.
"I'm Park Juwon. Could we have a quick chat?"
"Talk."
"Haha, no need to be so guarded. I'm just here to talk. Oh! And this is a gift."
The man pulled out a small box as he spoke.
I knew what that was now.
A cake from that famous bakery.
He slipped it through the slot to my room, then smiled again.
"Mind if I ask a few questions?"
"Sure."
"Would you be willing to take on specific anomalies for appropriate compensation?"
"Sure."
"Oh, really?"
"Sure. Bring me the heads of ten Foundation executives."
"......"
The man's face stiffened.
"That's a bit..."
"Or the heads of a thousand Foundation employees' families. That works too."
"What..."
After that...
I issued my warning—to the man. Or rather, to whoever was behind him.
"You listening? If you want to talk to me, come yourself. Not through a doll."
Then I snapped my fingers.
The man shot to his feet. Muttering to himself, he walked out.
I'd noticed it the moment he arrived.
He was one of the Foundation's disposable test subjects.
A "real" researcher trying to talk to me via proxy.
Tricks like that? Boring.
"Ahh—."
The disposable walked out, took the elevator to the rooftop...
And without hesitation, climbed the railing and jumped.
This should be warning enough.
If they knew I could wield this power from inside containment and still came themselves, I'd talk.
Send another disposable?
More disposables would get used up.
I went back to my room and plopped down on the bed.
My mood soured from the lame stunt.
I hoped at least one of the remaining researchers would be interesting.
"Or maybe it's time to leave."
That's when I sensed someone else approaching.
She walked straight here and stopped in front of my room.
Ding-dong—.
She rang the bell.
I sighed and headed back to the reception/visitation room.
"I'm sorry!"
There was a woman bowing her head deeply.
"I sincerely apologize for the other staff member causing you such displeasure without any prior discussion!"
"Get up."
"Yes!"
The woman who stood straight away also wore glasses and had a calm, intellectual vibe.
She screamed elite researcher.
And she was looking at me with flushed cheeks.
"That wasn't aimed at you?"
"I'm part of the dispatched team, so I can't say it's unrelated. That's why I was bowing too."
"Hmm."
"Ah, my name is Yoo Seyeon. I'm the Chief Researcher. And I brought a gift."
The woman quickly pulled out a small box.
"It's the trendy Dubai chewy cookies. And slice cake too, of course."
Mmm.
Approved!